Maternity-skirt.



No.- 873,167. PATBNTED DEC. 10, 1907.

I R. H. PETERS.

MATERNITY SKIRT.

APPLICATION rrnnn Mu.19.19os.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

R H. PETERS MATERNITY SKIRT.

APPLICATION FILED 14:13.19. 1906. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

77 znesyww THE NORRISFETERS 0a., WASHINGTON, u. c.

ROBERT H. PETERS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATERNITY-SKIRT.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19. 1906. Serial No. 306,704.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

opposite sides of the placket are folded into Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. PETERS, a l two plaits D which extend forwardly in opcitizen of the United States, and resident of posite directions and lie against the inner Buffalo, in the county of Erie, and in the a side of the skirt.

State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Maternity-Skirts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a maternity skirt. Heretofore skirts of this character have been provided with a draw string so that they could be adjusted to the variation in the waist measurement and they have also been furnished with rubber or tape lacing in the waistband for this purpose. These raising or tipping up of the skirt in front.

The object of this invention is the production of a skirt of this character which. con tains n0 draw string or lacing and which can be readily adjusted to suit the varying conditions of the wearer for maintaining the draping of the proper height at the front without requiring ripping or basting.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of two sheets :'Figure 1 is a side elevation of a maternity skirt embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same looking from the rear. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in line 33, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken in line 44, Fig. 3, fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of one of the plait holding clasps. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the clasp which connects the clamping members of the belt.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents the body of the skirt which is made comparatively full at the top so as to permit of enlarging or reducing the size of the waist to suit the condition of the wearer.

At its upper edge the skirt body is provided with a waist band a which extends about one half way around the rear or back part thereof. The edges of the placket, b in the rear or back part of the skirt may be connected by any suitable fastening, a hook and eye 0 being shown for this purpose'in the drawings. The surplus parts of the skirt on Fig. 5 is ai Each of these plaits is held in place by means of clasps or fasteners which may be of any suitable construction. Each of these clasps preferably has a U shaped body e which receives the upper edge of the waist band a of the plaited and unplaited part of the skirt, two j aws (if arranged onthe inner sides of the body an an elbow lever g pivoted on one side of the body and operating to move one of said jaws toward its companion jaw and grip the fabric beforms of skirts are objectionable because they are bulky and make the wearer look 5 larger and more conspicuous, and they do not contain any provision for correcting the and 3.

1 provided above the waist line with an upward extension or flap H the unused portion of which is adapted to be folded downwardly against the inner side of the skirt. This flap is held at the waist line between the inner and outer sections or members i, 'i of a clamping belt or holder. The members of the clamping belt are preferably crescent shaped so as to pass around the front part of the skirt body and are constructed of' spring steel or other elastic material which is covered with a suitable fabric to match the material of the skirt.

belt members are connected with each other and with the adjacent part of the skirt so as to securely grasp that part of the skirt between them and prevent the same from slipping therefrom. This connection between the clamping members and the skirt may be effected in various ways. As shown in the drawings the clamping members have their left ends permanently connected with each other by an eyelet and with the adjacent part of the skirt by a short pliable tab 3' The eyelet j is preferably oblong whereby the clamping members are prevented from being turned out of place and are compelled to remain parallel or side by side.

The right end of the inner clamping member is permanently connected with the adjacent part of the skirt by a short pliable tab kand detachably connected with the corresponding end of the outer clamping member,

preferably, by a buckle L having a spring pressed tongue or coupling lever Z which is pivotally mounted on a plate Z attached to l the inner clamping member and passes through one of a plurality of eyes on a plate Z attached to the outer clamping member.

In adjusting the skirt to the wearer the clamping members are disconnected and the front of the skirt is either let down or raised up between said members the required extent to cause the lower end of the front to be even or horizontally in line with the back after which the outer or front clamping member is coupled at its free end with the inner or rear member and that part of the flap or extension above the clamping members is'turned downwardly inside of the skirt, as shown in the drawings. The plaits in the back of the skirt are also let out or taken in the required extent to make the waist band of the skirt fit the waist of the wearer. In effecting the adjustnient of the waist band the back fasteners arefirst removed to free the plaits and then the latter are shifted equal distances so as to retain the placket in the middle after which. the back fasteners are again applied.

As the abdomen of the wearer increases in size the front part of the belt at the waist line rises, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and causes the skirt to raise in front out of its the back maybe let out in the same measure,

as shown by dotted lines in 1. During the period that the form is returning to its normal size, the skirt may be readily adjusted to the then varying conditions as before. 3

These adjustments of the skirt can be effected varies so that the skirt is comfortable at all times. of the skirt is necessary in changing the cane from one size or condition to another.

erase? skirt, the flap being held in place solely by frictional contact with the adjacent parts of the clothing.

My improved skirt has the additional advanta e of being wearable as an ordinary dress iirt after the period of maternity.

1 claim as my invention 1. A skirt having a flap or extension only at the upper end of its front part, and means for holding said 'llap or extension in *arious folded positions, substantially as set forth.

9 A skirt having a flap or extension only at the upper end of its front part, and means for holding said flap or extension in various folded positions comprising a belt over which. said flap or extension is adapted to be folded, substantially as set forth.

" A skirt having a flap or extension at the 0. upper end of its front part, and a belt over which said 'llap or extmlsion is folded. aml

which is connected at its ends to the sides of the skirt while its interimwliate part is detached from the skirt, substantially as set forth.

4-. A skirt having a flap or extension at the upper end of its front side, and a belt comprising two clan'iping members between which said flap or extension is arranged, substantially as set forth.

5. A skirt having a flap or extension at the upper end of its front side, and a belt comprising two clamping members between which said flap or extension is arranged, and means for detachably connecting said clamp- 1 ing members, substantially as set forth.

6. A skirt having a llap or extension at the upper end of its front side, and a belt comtwo clamping members between which said llap or extension is arranged. means'for perm anen tly connecting the clamping n e lbers at one end thereof, and m ans fordctachably connectingthe clamping members at the opposite end, substantially as set forth.

7. A skirt having a flap or extension at the upper end of its front side, and a bolt comgradually and easily as the size of the waist By constructing the clamping members of I prising inner and outer clamping members 5 which receive said flap or extension betaroen Furthermore no ripping or basting them, said inner member being permanently attached at its opposite ends to said skirt. and said outer clamping member being permanently connected at one end with the inner clampii'ig member and dotachably con nected at its opposite end. with said inner clamping member, substantially as set forth.

A skirt having a llap or extension at the upper end of its front side, and a belt comprising inner and outer clamping members which receive said llap or extension betn 'een them, said inner member being permanently attached at its opposite ends to said skirt, an oblong eyelet connecting one end of the outer clamping member permanently with the corresponding end of the inner clamping memher, and means for detachably connecting the opposite endsof the clamping members consisting of a spring pressed coupling lever attached to the inner clamping member and an eye plate attached to the outer clamping member and receiving said coupling lever, substantially asset forth.

. 9. A skirt having a flap or extension only at the upper end of its front part, means for holding said flap in various folded positions, 10 and means for Varying the Waist measurement of the skirt, substantially as set forth. Witness my hand this 1st day of March, 1906;

- ROBERT H. PETERS. Witnesses: 3

TI-IEO. L. PoPP, RUTH TARBELL. 

